What does an orthopedic surgeon do?

Q: How many hours a week do orthopedic surgeons work?

Orthopedic surgeons typically work over 40 hours per week. Many keep weekly schedules of 45 to 60 hours, however, some can also put in over 70 hours in a work week. This is because there are fewer orthopedic surgeons than general surgeons in the medical field. Being specialized in orthopedics demands that orthopedic surgeons be ready to work more hours than the average surgeon.

Q: What does an orthopedic surgeon do on a daily basis?

An orthopedic surgeon assesses and diagnoses patients, conducts surgeries, and monitors the progress of patients on a daily basis. Here are some details on the daily activities of an orthopedic surgeon:

Updated January 8, 2025

7 min read

An orthopedic surgeon specializes in performing surgeries to treat different issues concerning a patient's musculoskeletal system. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around conducting extensive examinations on a patient to determine their condition, analyzing their medical records, coordinating with nurses and other specialists to ensure the accuracy of treatments, and maintaining a thorough record of information. Records include appointments, comments, and results. There are also instances when a surgeon must refer patients to therapists and provide advice for post-surgery care. Furthermore, it is essential to monitor a patient's condition before and after surgery.

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Orthopedic surgeon responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real orthopedic surgeon resumes:

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Handle medical billing, medical transcription, and medical billing.
Perform surgical procedures of the foot and ankle in both a hospital and surgery center setting.
Provide conservative and surgical care of foot and ankle relate medical conditions for children and adults.
Register and interview patients for purpose of compiling medical history and record keeping.
Perform laparoscopic surgery on regular basis (cholecystectomy, appendectomy, gynecological surgery).
Edit the Dr's daily dictation.
Enter orders into the EMR system efficiently and without errors.
Interview, hire, train and supervise new CMA staff.
Monitor location of sharps, sponges, instrument and suture.
Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
Master all available methods of casting and fabrication of custom orthotics.
Handle precertification for MRI's and other procedures that are need by the doctor.
Work with workman compensation, Medicaid, Medicare, auto insurance and other insurances.
Work in various departments of the hospital like general medicine, surgery, pediatrics etc.

Orthopedic surgeon skills and personality traits

We calculated that 31% of Orthopedic Surgeons are proficient in Patients, Spine, and EMR. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Dexterity, and Leadership skills.

We break down the percentage of Orthopedic Surgeons that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Patients, 31%
Provide emergency medical care to critically ill patients within Emergency Services Department.
Spine, 15%
Awarded SICOT/ ASSIUT scholarship and fellow at Assiut University Hospital trained on Arthroscopy, Arthoplasty, Spine, Trauma and Oncologic Surgeries
EMR, 11%
Inventory on all clinical supplies, maintained strict adherence to HIPAA security and compliance, trained in meaningful use of EMR.
Sports Medicine, 10%
General orthopedics including trauma with emphasis on pediatrics and sports medicine
Patient Care, 8%
Assisted MD as well as management team in ensuring optimal patient care and smooth daily functioning of office.
Private Practice, 7%
Shadowed Dr. Heinen and nurses during surgeries and private practice

Most orthopedic surgeons use their skills in "patients," "spine," and "emr" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential orthopedic surgeon responsibilities here:

Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for an orthopedic surgeon to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "physicians and surgeons need to be excellent communicators." Additionally, an orthopedic surgeon resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "maintained open lines of communication between patients, physician, staff, and laboratory personnel. "

Dexterity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling orthopedic surgeon duties is dexterity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "physicians and surgeons may work with very precise and sometimes sharp tools, and mistakes can have serious consequences." According to an orthopedic surgeon resume, here's how orthopedic surgeons can utilize dexterity in their job responsibilities: "gained invaluable knowledge of the medical industry and patient care; developed diagnostic and problem-solving skills through hands-on clinical experience. "

Leadership skills. orthopedic surgeons are also known for leadership skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to orthopedic surgeon responsibilities, because "physicians who work in their own practice must manage a staff of other professionals." An orthopedic surgeon resume example shows how leadership skills is used in the workplace: "delivered advice to surgeon general and executive leadership on public health policies, project implementation, and milestone establishment. "

Physical stamina. A big part of what orthopedic surgeons do relies on "physical stamina." You can see how essential it is to orthopedic surgeon responsibilities because "physicians and surgeons should be comfortable lifting or turning disabled patients, or performing other physical tasks." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical orthopedic surgeon tasks: "staff rn responsibilities: obtaining patient history & physical, multiple office duties including workman's compensation billing and collection. "

Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for orthopedic surgeon responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of orthopedic surgeons all the time, as "physicians and surgeons need to evaluate patients’ symptoms and administer the appropriate treatments." An excerpt from a real orthopedic surgeon resume shows how this skill is central to what an orthopedic surgeon does: "provided solutions to the patients for their needs. "

Compassion. While "compassion" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to orthopedic surgeon responsibilities. Much of what an orthopedic surgeon does relies on this skill, seeing as "patients who are sick or injured may be in extreme pain or distress." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of orthopedic surgeons: "provided and directed patient care in an appropriate and compassionate manner. "

All orthopedic surgeon skills

The three companies that hire the most orthopedic surgeons are:

The Medicus Firm
197 orthopedic surgeons jobs
Concentra57 orthopedic surgeons jobs
Regional West21 orthopedic surgeons jobs

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Compare different orthopedic surgeons

Orthopedic surgeon vs. Doctor

A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also coordinate and maintain an active communication line with nurses, administrators, and technicians for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a doctor must educate patients about their health conditions, helping them understand their situation better.

We looked at the average orthopedic surgeon salary and compared it with the wages of a doctor. Generally speaking, doctors are paid $71,011 higher than orthopedic surgeons per year.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between orthopedic surgeons and doctors are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like patients, emr, and patient care.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an orthopedic surgeon are more likely to require skills like "spine," "sports medicine," "rehabilitation," and "insurance coverage." On the other hand, a job as a doctor requires skills like "customer service," "emergency medicine," "surgery," and "dr." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Doctors earn the highest salaries when working in the health care industry, with an average yearly salary of $178,767. On the other hand, orthopedic surgeons are paid more in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $196,182.On average, doctors reach similar levels of education than orthopedic surgeons. Doctors are 2.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 18.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Learn more about orthopedic surgeons vs doctors.

Orthopedic surgeon vs. Eye physician

Physicians' general responsibility is to check, diagnose, and treat a patient's condition to improve their overall wellness. A physician could be General Practitioners or Specialist Physicians, wherein General Practitioners are physicians who provide regular checkups for patients depending on their needs and refer them to a Specialist Physicians who are more skilled in a particular field of expertise for a thorough diagnosis. Physicians monitor a patient's medical history and ensure follow-up checkups to observe if the condition of a patient is changing over time. A physician may refer a patient to other health professionals for further examination as needed.

On average, eye physicians earn a $150,599 higher salary than orthopedic surgeons a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both orthopedic surgeons and eye physicians have skills such as "patient care," "exam rooms," and "front desk. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that orthopedic surgeon responsibilities requires skills like "patients," "spine," "emr," and "sports medicine." But an eye physician might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "eye drops," "field testing," "consent forms," and "ehr."

In general, eye physicians achieve similar levels of education than orthopedic surgeons. They're 3.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 18.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Learn more about orthopedic surgeons vs physicians.

Orthopedic surgeon vs. Physician

On average scale, physicians bring in higher salaries than orthopedic surgeons. In fact, they earn a $101,316 higher salary per year.orthopedic surgeons and physicians both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "patients," "emr," and "patient care," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an orthopedic surgeon is likely to be skilled in "spine," "sports medicine," "physical therapy," and "insurance coverage," while a typical physician is skilled in "surgery," "internal medicine," "primary care," and "family practice."

Physicians earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $169,042. Orthopedic surgeons earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $196,182.When it comes to education, physicians tend to earn similar degree levels compared to orthopedic surgeons. In fact, they're 2.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 12.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Orthopedic surgeon vs. Surgeon's assistant

Surgeon's assistants typically earn higher pay than orthopedic surgeons. On average, surgeon's assistants earn a $230,386 higher salary per year.According to resumes from orthopedic surgeons and surgeon's assistants, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "patients," "emr," and "physical therapy. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "spine," "sports medicine," "patient care," and "private practice" are skills that commonly show up on orthopedic surgeon resumes. On the other hand, surgeon's assistants use skills like ortho, epic, general surgery, and direct patient care on their resumes.The health care industry tends to pay the highest salaries for surgeon's assistants, with average annual pay of $199,491. Comparatively, the highest orthopedic surgeon annual salary comes from the manufacturing industry.In general, surgeon's assistants hold similar degree levels compared to orthopedic surgeons. Surgeon's assistants are 0.2% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of orthopedic surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

What an orthopedic surgeon does FAQs

How many hours a week do orthopedic surgeons work?